Shock-absorber for vehicles.



T. LEA,

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES APPLIUATIN FILED DBG.8,1909. l

atemed May l?, 11910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

CMM., QW@ QUQ .tical transverse section of the SHGCK-ABSORBER .FOR 'VEHCLJL Speccetion of Letters Patent.

.Patented ii'i'y l Application iled Beca-mbex- 3.305. Serial No. 531,968.

To ad whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, lnonas LIGA, a citizen of the United States oli America, and a resident olf New Brunswick, .in the county ot' Middlesex and State ot New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in .'tlhocloilibsorbers 'for Vehicles, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings7 formino' part thereof. l

'lhe invention relates partiaularly 'to that class of shoch absorbers distinguished by being made of all metal, in which the shock absorbing mechanism inclosed in a. case. generally7 circular, and communicates with relatively movable portions o't' the vehicle through 'two lei/'ers or arms one oi which is secured to the axle or lower member oil a spring while the other is secured to the load carrying upper body or upper member of a.

spring, the approach or separation of the ends of the arms trainsmitting to the mechanism inclosed in the case certain Inoveinents jlor control by said ineclninism,l or moditichtion by said mechanism as the ease may be.

lhe objecty ol' my invention is to provide a construction ol shock absorbing means which will allow the upper body to drop against the resistance of the. usual outlit. ol' springs or spring` supporting means, and which will el'l'ectually resist or absorb the upward bound or rebound of the upper body, permitting il to risc wi th a comparatively slow movement.y thus obviatingv the tossing usually incident lo travel of vehicles on uneven surfaces. rl`liis Vl accomplish through my invention.

'Figure l is an elevation ol my inventionl ready lo he applied to a Vehicle. Fig. il is a view ol' the meehanism contained in the case, one plate ol the. case and its attached arm being removed. Fig. lll is an elevation el the friction ring'. Fig. lV an edge View oi the same. lfigx V is an elevation of the pawl ring. Fig. Vl is an edge View oi' the saine. Fig. VilV is an elevation ol the ratchet dish. Fig. Will is a Vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. IX is an elevation of a retaining ring. Fig. X is an edge View of the saine. Fig. XI is a vercase and the Y inclosed mechanism on the line 'Xl-JQ et' Fig. I. Fig.. Xlfl is a detail of a. spring and its pivot pin.

is e detail of view of the carriesat its -lartli pawl and its pivot pin. Kil] a face head 'ol' secondary adjusting screw, for regulating the tension of the lriction ring.

l is the nach plate of the inclosing case havintg` removably secured thereto by suitalle 4asteninfgs the lever or erin i which end a` perglorated head Aland wear pieces i suitable for attachment to an agde or a lower ine aber of vehicle spring supporting ineans not. shown.

o is tlie'l'ront plate orithe inc-losing case having removably secured thereto by suitable tastenings T the levier or arm 8 which carries at its farther'cnd a perforated head f) and wear pieces 10 suitable lor attachment io a load carrying body or the upper inem'- ber olf a vehicle spring` supporting` means not shown.z

'llhefastening means il is llas-h with the inner side ol the bach plate, while the taslening` means T extend rinward through the i'ront platv and into the ratchet disk ll securing` lo the arm S, the trout plate7 the ratchet dish l1 and the interposed spacing and retaining` ring l2.

The ratchet disk is centered on a projecting huh or boss 13 ol: the t'ront plate. which hub, when the mechanism is assembledj en.- cireles a smaller hub or hoss ll termed on the hach plate l, the two plates bein cured loosely together by a bolt l5 which has a nut lli screwed home to a shoulder 'li on the boli. This shoulder is located at a proper point on the bolt to allow ot a dust iight fit between the plates and yet allow them to rotate relatively.

The spacing and reiainiim ring;` l2 Vis een- 'tered on .the reduced edge ifi et the ratchet dish 1l and a companion spacing and retaining ring lt) is centered on a cmresi'ioinling reduced edge 2O ot the ratchet. dish ll. lilach ofthese spacing and retaining rings is preferably provided with an eren number of holes 2l for lthe reception of the ends of the pivot pins 22 which hold the springs 23 in place and the pivot pins which hold the pawls 25 in pla-ce. lilach of these spaeing and retaining rings also preferably provided with two small nicks 2G whereby they maybe easily raised from the remaining niechanism when desired.

The ratchet didi; containf of teeth 2'?" so that in :Je d-iiice 'i quarter, one-half and one-quarter engagement with the teeth', one pawl being, by this arrangement, always ready to receive thrusts from the ratchet disk ll.

Each pawl 25 and its companion spring 23 is located in a cavit 2S in the awl rinff Q8 a P i: v

Cfr

the ends of the cavity being preferably shaped to lit the contour ot' the pawl and sin-ing respectively, so that any thrust received by the pawls is transmitted directly to the pa wl ring without appreciable lost motion.

The pawl ring 2S serves as the inner Imember of a friction device which may be regarded as a friction brake to checli the sudden movement 'ot-the ease plates with respect to each other in one direction. 'lfhe Outer member of the friction device is the friction ring |29, placed loosely between the casing 1 andiJthepawl ring, prevented Vfrom rotation with the cas-ell by theears 3() aud 3l and having a certain amount or i'rictionai contact with the pawl ring the amount of the friction being regulated by a prin'iary adjusting screw boltli working in the oll'set ot the case l, and the secondary screw bolt 3ft working also in' the otl'set and secured in adjustment by the jam nut 55. The bolts are preferably tine threaded lor close adjustment and the heads ot the secondary adjusting screw bolt ij-jt and the jam nut. 35 are preferably provided with small radial. cavities 3U to allow ot' the use of tools when desired.. rlhe secondary adjusting screw bolt head 34a further provided with a series of numbers or similar indicating means on its face, to show its relative axial position rihe pawl ring prefer bly provided with small radial holes 26" and the friction ring 2i) provided with small radial holes L both serving to either hold or pass lubricant to tlie :trictioi'ially engaged surfaces and interior parts.

ln operation the mechanism having been assembled, the arm through its suitably constructedend 4 is secured to the lower member of a. vehicle or spring, and the arm 8 secured to the upper member ol a vehicle or spring, ,the screw bolt rotated until the proper amount of friction is secured between the Yfriction ring 29 and the pawl ring :28 to overcome the initial rebound of the vehicle in unloaded condition. Att this time the secondary adjusting screw bolt head 34 should be in such a position that the "1. is up. It the vehicle is to carry three passengers, the head is rotated against. the pressure ol' the friction ring until the numeral "25 is up. It is intended that this amount ol' extra pressure on the friction ring should oti'set the additional rebound caused by thc added ,veight of three passengers and the construction oi the adjustment 'feature is proportioned to that cud. y

When tle moving mer-bine' striltes a pcb-- ble or other uncvenness in the surface traveled on, the arm 3 moves up toward arm Si with the contraction of the spring supporting` means or approach ofthe upper and lower members of the. vehicle, the pawls riding over the teeth of tlieratchet disk. As the springs open again or the upper and llower members ot the vehicle separate again.

the arms 3 and 8 start to separat again` being retarded in their movement by the friction between the friction ring and the pawl ring, as the latter by the thrust given z,it by the ratchet disk through the medium ol a pawl engaging a tooth, endeavors to turn in response to the pull exertedl by the arms 3 and 8.

lt 'should be noted that the friction ring is practically rigidly connected to the arm 3 and has not anymovemcnt with respect to the case bach' plate l, that: the ratchet dish is rigidly connected to the arm 5 and has no movement with respect to the front. plate (j, and that the only part' which rotates is the pawl ring 28 with its pawls, springs, pivotl and spacing and retaining rings l2 and lt), and that the rotating parts only move in one direction, the pawls sliding over the teeth when any movement is attempted in the other direction. The result is that there is no opposition to the approach of the arms il and 8 and a purely t'rictional resistance to their separation, the frictional resistancevarying with the tension put on the friction ring by the adjusting screw bolts.

' lt is obvious that. the parts, by reversing the pawl ring and attached parts, and the ratchet dish, may be -niadc to reverse their action and resist the approach or' the arms L and t5 instead of the separation of the arn'is. finch reversal is in line with my invention as cases may arise where the absorbing means 1 may chave to be applied to the vehicle through extra intervening levers or arms, which would reverse the ell'ects of the movements oi' the vehicle on the absorbing mechanism. essential changes lofts can be converted to rights and serve either side of a vehicle.

The amount of friction between the liriction ring and the pawl ring may be increased 1 by various means known to the arts, but toiA my purpose l pre'ler the t'aces to -be finished smooth and to depend on the tension pnt on the outer ring for the necessary friction. ln actual practice this construction has been lound practically imlestruetible and to otler `little wear.

,l prefer to lill the space between the lng.' 30 and 3l willi wool l'elt or sihiilar substance filled with lubricantas indicated at 4t).

Having thus described my invention the tollowing is what l claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. shock absorbertor vehicles compris- It is obvious also that by nonl .mg a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely i3 engaging hubs mounted on the pivot bolt and providing a casing; one plate being formed with an olset, a ratchet Wheel mounted on the hubs between the plates, a lever secured to one plate, a lever secured to the'other plate and the ratchet Wheel, a pawl ring carrying spring pawls and surrounding the ratchet wheel, a friction ring located between the casing and the pawl ring and having ears projecting into the offset, and a screw bolt working through the offset and bearing against an ear of the friction ring for controlling the frietional contact between the pawl ring and the friction ring.

2. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely engaging hubs mounted on the pivot bolt and providing a casing; one plate being formed with an offset, a ratchet wheel mounted on the hubs between the plates, a lever secured to oneplate, a lever secured to the other plate and to the ratchet wheel, a pawl ring carrying spring pawls and siii'- rounding the ratchet wheel, a friction ring located between the casing and the pawl ring and having ears projecting into the oiset, a screw bolt worltgipg through the offset and bearing against` an ear of the friction ring for controlling the-,frictional contact between the` pawl ring and the friction ring, and a jain nut nien eden the screw bolt and bearing against the oli'set.

3. A shock yabsorber for vehicles comprising a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely engaging hubs inouiited on the pivotliolt and providing a casing; one plate being formed with an otfset, a ratchet wheel mounted on the hubs between the plates, a lever secured to one plate, a lever secured to the other plate and to tlie'ratchet wheel, a pawl ring carrying spring pawls and surrounding the ratchet wheel, a friction ring located between the.casing and the `pawl ring and having ears projecting into the oll- 'set and primary and seconiflary screw bolts working through the oliset and bearing against the ears ot the friction ring tor controlling the 'lrictional contact between the pawl i'ing and the friction rinoj.

4. i' shock absorber Vfor vehicles"comprising a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely engagii'ig hubs nioiiiiled on the pivot bolt and providing a casing; one plate being fornied with an oli'set, a ratchet wheel 'forined with reduced edges and mounted on the hubs between the plates, a lever secured to one plate, a lever secured to the other lplate and to the ratchet wheel, a pawl ring carrying spring pawls and surrounding the ratchet wheel. retainii'ig rings nioiinted in the reduced edges ol the rali-hot wheel und in the pawl ring. a lriclioii ring located between the rasing and the pawl ring and having carsprojecting into the 'illsetaiid a screw bolt working through the oliset and beailiing against an ear of the friction ring for controlling the frictional contact between the pawl ring and the friction ring.

5. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely engaging hubs inounted on the pivot bolt and providing a casing; one plate being formed with an offset, a ratchet wheel formed with reduced edges and mounted on the hubs between the plates, a lever secured to one plate, a lever secured to the other plate and to the ratchet wheel, a pawl ring having cavities, pawls and springs bearing against the ends of their respective cavities,i retaining ringsnioiinted in the reduced edges of the ratchet wheel and in the pztwl ring, pivot pins extending across the pawl ring through their respective pawls and springs and into the retaining rings for holding the pawls and springs in place in their end bearings, a frictionV ring located between the casing and the pawl ring and having ears projecting into the oliset and a screw bolt working through the offset and bearing against an'ear of the friction ring for controllingthe frictional contact between lthe pawl ring and the friction ring.

6. A shock absorber toit'veliicles coniprising a pivot bolt, two plates having loosely engaging hubs mounted rin-.the pivot bolt, and providing a (':asiiig; one plate being formed with an' olfset, "a -ratchetwheel iiiouiited on the hubs betw-'ee'ii the plates, a lever secured to one platc,`a .lever secured to the other plate and to the ratchet.wheel, a

pawl ring-having radial lubricant holes and carrying Ispring pawls andsurrounding the ratchet wheel. a l'i'ictioi'i ring located between the casing and the pawl ring and having eais projecting into the oll'set, and a screw bolt working -through the .oll'set and bearing against an ear oi" the trictioni'iiig for controlling tlie liriclioiial contact between the pawl ring and the l'rictioii ring;

7. i\ .shot-lc absorber l'or vehicles comprising4 a pivot bolt, t ,wo plates'liaviiig loosely engaging hubs inoun'ted on the pivot bolt, and providing a'casiiig; one plate being forined with lan ollset, a ratchet wheel -inouiited on the hubs between the plates, a

lever secured to on(` plate, u lever secured to the other plaie and to the ratchet wheel, a pawl ring carrying spring pawls and surrounding lhe ratchet wheel, a friction ring having radial lubricant holes and located between the casing and the pa wl ring and having ears projecting inlo the oll'set, and a screw bolt working through the offset and bearing against an ear otl the friction ring l'or controlling the t'ricl ional contact between (he pawl ring and thil l'rirlioii ring.

THOMAS lillA. lliilnesses:

(liao. S. Simian, Aivriiozvr Simian.

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